Airplane



AIRPLANE Filed Deo.

UNITE STATESATET eric HENRY E. KINGSLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISl AIRPLANE Application filed December A26, 1929. Seria1 No. 416,528.

rlhis invention relates to aircraft and rfoils are controlled each by a link'7, each link especially to wing foils and the like, for being pivoted at one end, as at`8, adjacent to heavier than air devices, such for instance the free edge'of the corresponding foil, and as airplanes and seaplanes, and `is mainly theopposite end of the link being pivoted at 9 f; concerned with landing operations and with to a lcrank arm 10. 50

^ steering. Each crank arm 10 is rigidly andV co-turn- The main objects of theyinvention are to ably connected to a corresponding clutch enlarge the range of controll of aircraft; to member'l. These two clutch members are provide for air-braking and furthermore for mounted in co-aXial horizontal alinement and simulating a wing-flap retarding action in areaxially slidable crosswise of the chassis 55 landing, especially after grounding; to pro- Vto releasably engage the corresponding adj avide for the practical making ofY fiat turns cent faces of a driving disk 12, which is also in the air; to provide for enhancing the soarrotatable co-axially with members l1 and is ing and gliding possibilitiesof airplanes; tol provided with peripheral teethv 12 lto mesh provide for power operation at will of approwith a worm gear 13.

priate right and leftwing foi-ls; to provide Said worm gear 13 is mounted co-aXially for individual selective manual control ofthe on a shaft'14,which extends forwardly and is operation and use of such foils; to provide connected'by a universal joint 15 to'another especially an air foil power brake; and to shaft 16, which' may be an extension ofthe im provide for applying such novel control apshaft of the propeller engine 18. The reverse c5 paratus to aircraft of the usual general deend or rear part of shaft le has a swivel consgn. V nection 19 for a manual control handle 20. An illustrative embodiment of this inven- The worm disk 12 has outwardly divergent tion is shown more or less conventionally by conoidal flanges 12 to help guidethe worm l ,i the accompanying drawings in whichishaft into proper registry for coaction'of the 70 Figure 1 is mainly a right side elevation of l gear wheel and worm, when the handle 20 is a biplane with the wings shown in vertical raised, as will be apparent.

section on the linel-l of Figure 2 and with Each clutch disk 11 has a manual control part of the chassis housing broken away to lever 22 and 23, left and right, respectively,

V:co show the novel control mechanism.V connected to its hub for controlling its en- 75` Fig. 2 is a top plan of the device shown gagement with the worm disk 12. in Fig. 1L Y rlhe lower wing 30, the landing wheels 31, Fig. 3 is mainly a front view of the craft and the seat 32, are mountedgand arrangedas withthe foremost part shown in vertical" usual. The vmain gear lever 20 and the inn. section on the line 3-3of Fig. 1, and the dividual` levers 22 are all grouped within so,

landing gear omitted. Vready reach and control respecting seat 32.

Fig. l is a fragmentary detail illustrating The clutch members 11 are Vurged inwardly more fully and specifically the. mechanical by compression springs 35, so that bothV foils principles of the power clutch andfoil conarenormally connected for flapping opera- A -.'o trol means, only one side of the duplex clutch tion, or raisingor lowering by power. If one 85 etc. being shown. v ofthe foils is to remain at rest while the other In the construction shown, the biplane 1 operates, as in flat turning, the idle foil is has the novel control foils 2 and 3 hinged, as thrown out of clutch connection by operating at 4, in pockets on the forward under part of the corresponding lever 22, and the active foil the upper wings 5 and 6 respectively. These is actuated by raising lever 20.

Referring to Fig. 4 for more specific clutch gear detail, the rod 7 is actuated by crank member 10 which at 37 is keyed slidably t0 clutch part 11 and turns freely on block 38 and shaft 39 is keyed at 41 to gear disk 12, and isheaded at 42. Member 10 is shouldered at 44 to seat spring 35.

The method of operating an aircraft equipped with the foregoing improvements is mainly as follows:

After the craft has gained altitude with the foils 2 set as shown in Figure 1, and in case a strong wind is blowing in the desired direction of travel, the foils 2 may be lowered and then the engine may be throttled down whereupon the craft will coast or glide stead-l ily for a long distance as it gradually loses altitude. 7When the altitude has so diminished that continuance of this method is inadvisable, the engine may be accelerated and the foils raised, whereupon altitude may be regained in the usual manner.

Upon landing, in the usual way, and substantially as soon as a three point contact is made with the ground, the power brake feature may be utilized, merely by throwing the Worm 13 into gear with wheel 12. By this means the foils may be oscillated rapidly, simulating largely the wings of a bird in landing, the result being to diminish speed by air braking. Y Y Y An alternative use of this invention is in making lflat turns preferably at high alti-` tudes and moderate speed. In this instance a right or left turn is effected mainly but not wholly by lowering the corresponding right or left foil 3 or 2. The deiective lift of the foil as it is lowered is offset by opposite aileron action, at the will of the operator. For instance, lowering the right foil and leaving it lowered temporarily and atV the same time banking with the left aileron Will cause the craft to make a flat turn to the right without loss of flying speed.

Referring particularly to the operative control levers 20, 22 and 23, whenever foils 2 and 3 or either of them, are to be operated, the pilot grasps the handle or lever 20, and lifting the same, throws the engine driven worm 13 into engagement with the driving gear wheel 12. This, through coaction with the friction clutch discs 11, operates the crank member 10, corresponding links 7, and foils 2 and 3. As soon as the foils attain the desired position the handle 2O is reversed to disengage the worm 3, whereupon the actuating mechanism stops and the foils remain where set.

In case actuation of any one of the foils is desired, as in flat turning, the control handle 22 or 23 is operated manually to disengage the corresponding clutch.

If, for instance, 1t is desired to make left turn, the operator irst operates handle 23 to disengage the right clutch, which thusA permits the right foil to remain in its normal horizontal position, while the opposite foil is lowered by raising the lever 2O and throwing the foil control mechanism into gear with the engine.

If a right turn is desired, the left handle 22 is operated to release the left clutch disc, so that the left foil will remain up when the right foil is subsequently lowered by throwing the control mechanism into gear by raising handle 20.

It is apparent that when simultaneous action of both foils is desired, it is merely necessary to raise the handle and such action may be rendered intermittent by corresponding raising and lowering of said handle 20. lf the handle 20 is held up continuously, the foils 2 and 3 continue to oscillate by a sort of iapping action, the Speed of which depends upon the design of the gear mechanism 12-13. llhe appropriate oscillating speed in any instance depends upon the size of the Vcraft and the corresponding specific needs.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that some of the details of structure and mode of operation may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An airplane having rigid right and left wings in combination with rigidly planar foils underlying and hinged at their front edges to said wings respectively on a common axis disposed longitudinally thereof,

(and power means to flap said foils relative .manually controlled mechanical means 0peratively connecting said foils respectively to said source of power, said means each including a rotatable crank member to flap said foils respectively. v

3. An airplane having a. pair ,of foils swingingly mounted on opposite sides and on hinge axes disposed transversely of the airplane, a source of power, a central clutch member, manually controlled means comprising a pivotally adjustable worm shaft having a handle on its free `end for connecting said clutch member to said source of power and a pair of inwardly spring urged movable clutch members on opposite sides of the first mentioned. clutch member sub-ject to manual'control and operating .control means for connecting the laterally .disposed .clutch simplex foils hinged directly to the forward portions of said Wings respectively on fixedly alined axes parallel with said Wings, and mechanically automatic means for continuously flapping said foils.

Signed at Chicago this 28rd day of December, 1929.

HENRY E. KINGSLEY. 

